


Just Give Me A Reason

by hypersugarroxy



Series: APHRPW 2k14 [7]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Don't Ask, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2015-06-05
Packaged: 2018-04-03 00:59:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4080484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hypersugarroxy/pseuds/hypersugarroxy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn’t proper. It was unprofessional.  It threatened his neutrality.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Give Me A Reason

It wasn’t proper. It was unprofessional.  It threatened his neutrality. On top of all of that, the boy was just barely post-pubescent, no matter how old they both were, or how young he himself appeared. It was getting so bad that he wasn’t sure anymore if not having to sit through talks with the dark-haired Easterner was a stroke of luck or a very irritating inconvenience.

~

Basch wasn’t previously aware, before a visit with the Chinese representative, that the short pseudo-nation still physically lived under his “teacher’s” roof.

The talk was supposed to be informal. A preliminary discussion before discussion with their bosses in the morning. What it wasn’t supposed to turn into was a night’s stay and one of the most awkward visits he’d ever had.

Basch expected to be greeted by Yao; instead, his sister answered the door. She let him in; he was surprised by the calm atmosphere in the house. There were two others joining the that night; two young men, the boy Basch had been trying to avoid and a bespectacled man slightly older than him. The boy waved and the young man gave a polite smile (which nearly went unnoticed by Basch, who was distracted). Basch knew they lived here, so they would of course be relaxed. He felt like a streetlamp in a field of grass.

“Hello, I am Mei!” the girl said brightly, dragging Basch into the room. “These are my friends, Liang,” she indicated the distracting boy, “and Cheung,” the elder punctuating her statement with a nod.

“We’re like her -”

“ _Friends_ ,” Mei said firmly, cutting Cheung off.

“M-my name is Basch Zwi-”. Mei crossed in front of him.

“So you’re here for Teacher, right? I will get him.” Mei left. Liang and Cheung sort of stared at Basch. He wished they wouldn’t, especially the apparent younger of the two. He forgot who they were supposed to actually be, and didn’t particularly want to ask. These new naming rules were irritating.

An awkward silence fell among the trio, Liang fiddling with some sort of device, Cheung sitting quietly, looking expectantly between the two, perhaps looking for a cue to speak. Basch tried not to look at either of them while still keeping his front politely to them and his posture straight. He couldn’t help but flick his eyes at the younger. He had no idea why the lines between elation, confusion and embarrassment were blurring so heavily, but at least two of the three made him look at the face that made his own flush for no reason Basch could understand.

It felt like forever until Mei and Yao returned. The greetings were formal, and they spoke shortly. Basch found himself both relieved and let down that Yao led him to a back room and outside to talk. They discussed their subject at hand on a walk. The sun began to set, though it became dark quicker than usual for a simple sunset. Rain started coming down, slowly, then hard. The two finished their talk right inside the house as a downpour descended upon them.

The storm caused traffic too heavy to get out of town, so Basch had little option short of walking back to the city and arriving, drenched and at three in the morning (still jet-lagged, mind) but to stay the night with Yao and his small “family”.

They were a hospitable bunch. Yao and Mei were apparent masters in their kitchen, turning it into something akin to a dance. Basch watched; he would never trust the stove to burn as he turned his back to fetch something. He also didn’t trust anyone to stand in his kitchen with him while he was cooking. Unless he absolutely needed it, and even then he only really trusted one person when she was around, he didn’t even let on he needed help. And these two were just working all around each other like it was choreographed.

Basch was seated at a short table, just mesmerized by their work. He didn’t even notice the other two joining him.

“Sorry ‘bout them.” Basch jumped slightly and instinctively reached for a weapon he didn’t have. “Chill, Mr. man,” Liang said, holding up his hands. He looked back over to the kitchen. “Not much of a show this time. They used to like showing off, but now Teacher and Sis are fighting. So it’s quieter than usual.”

This… was them... not even trying?

“You ok?”

“Perhaps there’s something in the air from the food he doesn’t agree with,” Cheung suggested, his face falling from enjoyment of the

“We’re always fine. I forget, who’s cooking tomorrow?”

“Me and Mei. Then you and Teacher on Thursday.”

“Hm. Oh, wait, you’re still not agreeing with the air. Go outside,” Liang reached out for Basch’s arm. He jerked it away. Liang withdrew his arm and instead went around Basch’s back and pulled him out of the chair, expressing small surprise when he wasn’t met with a lot of resistance.

The rain was still falling hard. Basch didn’t want to go out in it. But watching Liang overtake him and walk out like it was nothing, then turn to face him when he realized his walking mate wasn’t following him, brought him to the conclusion that a little rain never hurt anyone and followed him out.

“Still never figured out why you Westerners are so formal when you come over.” Liang slapped Basch on the back. “Figured I could knock some of your old bones loose. Works on Teacher and he’s even older.”

“I’m not old.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

The yard seemed bigger than it did earlier, even though visibility was lower. Basch was sort of interested in how far they could walk and still call it their yard.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt something grab his wet hand.

“You’re going the wrong way,” Liang’s voice said from behind him, and the hand led him in a fully different direction. “You seem to be the same whether you’re inside or out. Must just be you.”

Basch didn’t respond. He couldn’t respond. His mind was a bit overloaded with not knowing how to handle being dragged around hand-in-hand. He wasn’t very good with contact, and when he was, he was usually the one doing the dragging. This child, this being who wasn’t even exactly on his level as a nation, was now the one doing the dragging. And he was letting him.

“Your legs not working? Should I hit those too?”

Basch scowled and tried to pull his hand out of Liang’s grip. The boy only tightened his hold.

“Where are we going?”

“Over here.”

“Where is here?”

“Here.”

It was just another corner of the yard. They stood under a tree; the rain wasn’t coming as hard through the leaves. Basch took his free hand and started unsticking his wet hair from his forehead. Liang shook his own head not unlike a dog.

“Let go.”

“Why?”

What kind of question was that. “Why not?”

Liang shrugged, taking Basch’s hand with him. “Dunno. Thought you liked it.” He dropped Basch’s hand to the Westerner’s side and along with it a block of disappointment.

This was getting difficult. He didn’t like having the boy’s attention, but he hated not having the boys attention as well. Liang held out his hand, an expectant look on his face.

“So you’re just humoring a perceived desire?”

“No.”

No? What...what? “What?”

“Not humoring. Not indulging. It’s just a thing.” How vague. “Did you want my hand or not?”

Liang looked Basch straight in the eyes...or would have had Basch not been staring at the ground, cogs turning in his head.

“It’s not -”

“Look, old guy.” Old guy? “Quit thinking about what it isn’t and focus on what it is.”

He shook his hand expectantly. Basch wondered vaguely if Liang wanted to hold Basch’s hand, as much as he wanted to hold the dark-haired boy’s.

The rain started letting up but it only seemed to get darker. Distant traffic cracked the illusion of total tranquility the two were stuck in, falling asleep, still wondering how to get the hang of the hand thing.

They were either so lost or the steps so quiet, they didn’t hear Mei approach their tree.

“Liang! Teacher’s been wondering where -!” She cut herself short as she noticed them at the tree’s base. She put her hands on her hips, weighing her options. She could wake them, or she could let them be. The former breaks this up, but the latter might end up concerning Yao. She threw her hands up half-heartedly.

“I’ll just tell him you’re still busy.”

**Author's Note:**

> originally from tumblr. fill for aphrpw 2014.


End file.
